Our Commitment
As a site dedicated to privacy education, CosmicNet practices what we preach. We collect minimal data and do not track our visitors.
Data We Don't Collect
- No tracking cookies
- No analytics scripts
- No fingerprinting
- No advertising networks
- No third-party trackers
Server Logs
CosmicNet standard web server logs may temporarily record IP addresses for security purposes. These logs are automatically deleted and never shared.
Tor Access
CosmicNet is accessible via Tor. We encourage privacy-conscious visitors to access the site through the Tor network.
External Resources
CosmicNet uses Google Fonts for typography. If you prefer not to load external resources, consider using a browser extension to block them or access via Tor Browser with security level set to Safer.
Contact
For privacy concerns, please see our contact page.
Philosophy
As a website dedicated to educating people about digital privacy, we take our own privacy practices seriously. CosmicNet applies the same principles we write about to how we operate this site. Our approach is simple: collect as little data as possible, protect what we must collect, and be transparent about our practices.
Many websites claim to value privacy while simultaneously deploying dozens of tracking scripts, analytics systems, and advertising networks. We reject this hypocrisy. CosmicNet is built on the principle that respecting user privacy requires actual technical measures, not just policy statements.
What We Absolutely Don't Do
No Tracking Cookies: CosmicNet does not use cookies for tracking purposes. We do not drop persistent identifiers in your browser to follow you across sessions or correlate your visits over time. The only cookies we might use are strictly functional, such as session cookies if you use any interactive features, and these are deleted when you close your browser.
No Analytics Scripts: CosmicNet does not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or any other third-party analytics services. These systems are designed to track users across websites and build detailed profiles of browsing behavior. By not using them, we eliminate a major vector for surveillance and data leakage to third parties.
No Fingerprinting: CosmicNet does not attempt to fingerprint your browser or device. Browser fingerprinting uses technical characteristics like installed fonts, screen resolution, and browser configuration to create unique identifiers. This technique circumvents user privacy controls and is particularly insidious because it's difficult to detect or prevent. We don't use it.
No Advertising Networks: CosmicNet displays no advertisements and connects to no advertising networks. Ad networks are among the most aggressive trackers on the web, building detailed profiles for behavioral advertising. By not participating in the advertising ecosystem, we avoid introducing these privacy threats.
No Third-Party Trackers: CosmicNet does not embed content from tracking services, social media widgets with tracking code, or other third-party elements that phone home about your visit. Many websites leak your browsing behavior to dozens of companies through embedded content. CosmicNet eliminates this entirely.
No Data Sales: CosmicNet does not collect data for sale, sharing, or monetization. Your information is not a product. CosmicNet does not have a business model based on surveillance capitalism because we are not a commercial operation.
Server Logs
Like all web servers, ours generates logs recording basic information about requests: IP addresses, requested URLs, timestamps, user agent strings, and referrer headers. This logging is inherent to how web servers operate and serves legitimate purposes including detecting attacks, diagnosing technical problems, and understanding what content is popular.
However, CosmicNet minimizes data retention and does not use these logs for detailed user profiling. Server logs are automatically rotated and deleted on a regular schedule, typically within a few weeks. We do not correlate server logs with other data sources or attempt to identify individual users. We don't share server logs with third parties except as required by law.
IP addresses in server logs are the most sensitive information, as they can reveal your approximate location and, in some cases, identify you. If this concerns you, we strongly encourage accessing CosmicNet through Tor or a VPN to mask your IP address. We fully support and encourage such privacy-protective measures.
Tor Access Encouraged
This website is fully accessible through Tor Browser. We actively encourage privacy-conscious visitors to access CosmicNet via Tor. Tor access provides strong anonymity by routing your connection through multiple servers and encrypting traffic in layers, making it extremely difficult to trace connections back to you.
Unlike many websites that block or degrade service for Tor users, CosmicNet welcomes them. Tor users represent exactly the privacy-conscious audience we aim to serve, and blocking Tor would be contrary to our mission. You will not encounter CAPTCHAs, blocks, or reduced functionality when accessing this site through Tor.
For maximum privacy, use Tor Browser with security level set to "Safer" or "Safest." Higher security levels disable or restrict potentially dangerous features like JavaScript. CosmicNet is designed to work with JavaScript disabled, though some interactive features may be unavailable at higher security levels.
Hosting and Infrastructure
CosmicNet is hosted on infrastructure chosen for privacy and security properties. We use hosting providers that respect privacy, don't cooperate with dragnet surveillance programs, and provide strong technical security. Server locations are chosen with consideration for legal jurisdiction and data protection laws.
All connections to CosmicNet use HTTPS encryption with modern TLS protocols and strong cipher suites. This protects your browsing of the site from network-level surveillance and prevents your ISP or network administrator from seeing which specific pages you visit. The encryption prevents manipulation of content in transit.
We use HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) to prevent downgrade attacks that attempt to force unencrypted connections. Once you've visited CosmicNet over HTTPS, your browser will refuse to connect over unencrypted HTTP, protecting against certain types of attacks.
External Resources
CosmicNet minimizes dependencies on external resources to reduce privacy risks. However, CosmicNet does use some external resources that are important to be transparent about:
Google Fonts: We load web fonts from Google Fonts for typography. When you visit CosmicNet, your browser requests these fonts from Google's servers, which means Google learns that someone with your IP address visited a site using their fonts. This is a privacy tradeoff we've made for better typography, but you should be aware of it.
If you prefer to avoid loading resources from Google, you have several options. Tor Browser with security level set to Safer or Safest will block external fonts. Browser extensions like uBlock Origin or uMatrix allow you to selectively block requests to Google Fonts. The site remains fully functional without custom fonts, falling back to system fonts.
External Links: Our articles link to external resources including the websites of privacy tools we document, academic papers, news articles, and other educational resources. When you click these links, you leave CosmicNet and are subject to the privacy policies of the destination site. External links open in new tabs by default (when JavaScript is enabled) to make this clear.
CosmicNet has no control over external websites' privacy practices. Before clicking through to external sites, especially if you have privacy concerns, consider whether you want to reveal your IP address to those sites. For maximum privacy, access external links through Tor or a VPN.
Content Disclaimer
CosmicNet provides educational information about privacy technologies, cryptography, and anonymous networks. We do not track or monitor how this information is used. We provide this content in good faith for educational purposes, recognizing that privacy tools have many legitimate uses.
However, we cannot control how readers use the information we provide. CosmicNet does not endorse, promote, or facilitate illegal activities. The presence of information about a technology does not constitute encouragement to use it for illegal purposes. Readers are responsible for complying with applicable laws in their jurisdictions.
The information on CosmicNet is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. CosmicNet strives for accuracy but cannot guarantee that all content is current, complete, or error-free. Privacy and security are complex fields where best practices evolve, and no resource can be perfectly comprehensive or current at all times.
Legal Requests and Compliance
CosmicNet may be subject to legal process requiring disclosure of information. Because we collect minimal data, we have little to disclose even if compelled. We cannot reveal what we don't collect. This is the strongest privacy protection: not having the data in the first place.
If CosmicNet receives legal requests for user data, we will evaluate them carefully and push back against overbroad or legally dubious requests. If required to comply, we will disclose only what is legally required. Where legally permitted, we will notify affected users, though gag orders may prevent this in some cases.
CosmicNet does not voluntarily cooperate with surveillance programs or provide data to intelligence agencies beyond what is legally required. Our minimal data collection means there is little intelligence value in surveilling CosmicNet users through us. Users who require protection from sophisticated adversaries should assume that accessing any website creates some risk and use appropriate tools like Tor to protect their identity.
Your Rights and Control
Because CosmicNet collects essentially no personal data about visitors, most data protection regulations have limited applicability. There are no user accounts to delete, no profiles to export, no collected data to correct. The privacy protection is structural: we don't have your data.
If you have contacted CosmicNet via email and want us to delete those communications, contact us to request deletion. We will comply with reasonable requests to delete communications we've received from you. Note that encrypted emails may be difficult to delete completely from all backup systems, but we will make reasonable efforts.
You control your own privacy primarily through your browsing behavior and the tools you use. Access the site through Tor for anonymity. Use a VPN to hide your IP address. Configure your browser to block external resources. These measures are far more effective than relying on website privacy policies.
Policy Updates
CosmicNet may update this privacy policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Significant changes will be noted prominently. The "last modified" date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last updated.
CosmicNet is committed to maintaining our minimal data collection approach. Any future changes will be in the direction of collecting less data and providing stronger privacy protections, not weaker. If we ever need to collect additional data for a legitimate purpose, we will update this policy first and provide clear notice.
Questions and Concerns
If you have questions about this privacy policy or concerns about how we handle privacy, please contact us through the methods described on our contact page. We welcome feedback about our privacy practices and suggestions for improvements.
For sensitive privacy concerns, we encourage using encrypted communication methods. PGP-encrypted email or contact via Session messenger ensures that your privacy concerns themselves remain private. We take privacy feedback seriously and will respond to all legitimate inquiries.
Remember that the best privacy protection comes from technical measures you control, not from trusting website privacy policies. Use Tor, VPNs, browser privacy settings, and ad blockers to protect yourself. Don't rely solely on websites doing the right thing—verify their behavior and take steps to protect your own privacy regardless of their policies.
Summary
In summary, CosmicNet's privacy approach is straightforward: we collect minimal data, don't track you, don't use analytics, don't serve ads, don't fingerprint browsers, and don't sell information. We encourage Tor access and support users taking technical measures to protect their own privacy. We're transparent about the limited external resources we do use. And we practice the privacy principles we write about.
This approach reflects our belief that privacy is best protected through technical measures and minimal data collection rather than through detailed policies governing how extensive data will be used. The strongest privacy protection is not collecting the data in the first place. That's the approach we've taken with CosmicNet.